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Value of Manchester-based fashion website Boohoo soars to £1 billion on expectations of a bumper year
The value of Manchester-based fashion website Boohoo has soared to £1 billion on expectations of a bumper year.
Hundreds of millions of pounds were added to the worth of the founding Kamani family after the stock price doubled in five months.
The company has a higher value than department store Debenhams, which has 178 stores and ten times Boohoo’s sales.
Soaring: The company has a higher value than department store Debenhams, which has 178 stores and ten times Boohoo’s sales
The Mail on Sunday reported last month that the firm was performing ahead of expectations and two days later Boohoo announced sales were booming.
The company is ideally placed to cash in on the online boom. Its currency hedging positions have protected it from the worst impact of sterling’s weakness and it stands to benefit from accelerating overseas trade. The shares closed at 92p last week.
Directors and family members sold shares worth £300 million in 2014, but they still own 44 per cent of the business. Their share is worth about £440 million.
The retailer will announce half-year results on September 27. Sales in this financial year are expected to grow by a third to £257 million, according to George Mensah at stockbroker Shore Capital.
The Kamanis have emerged as one of the leading fashion retail families of the digital era. Mahmud Kamani is co-founder of Boohoo, while his sons Adam and Umar set up young women’s fashion business PrettyLittleThing, which has celebrity customers including Miley Cyrus.
Meanwhile, Anek, a new women’s fashion website featuring ‘ethical, independent’ brands from around the world, has been launched by Amrita Kriplani, a former product manager for Asos.
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Airtel’s once again trying to keep up with Reliance Jio’s onslaught of affordable packs by outing one of its own. This time round, it’s looking to rival the latter’s Rs 98 prepaid plan with its own Rs 93 one.
Opting for Airtel’s Rs 93 recharge will grant you 1GB of 3G or 4G data in all, 100 STD and local SMSes on a daily basis, unlimited local and STD calls, and free roaming. The deal is valid for 10 days and should be available to everyone.
In comparison, Reliance Jio’s Rs 98 pack gives away 2.1GB of data in total, 140 free SMSes and unlimited local, STD, and roaming calls. There’s a daily limit of 0.15GB, post which the high speed 4G data gets reduced down to 64Kbps. The plan stretches on for 14 days.
Airtel’s been keeping pretty busy these days trying to avoid losing ground to Jio. It recently announced a Rs 199 scheme which serves up 1GB of daily data, 100 SMSes, and unlimited calls for 28 days. The latter has a similar Rs 199 ‘Happy New Year 2018’ plan in place which ups the data quota to 1.2GB and keeps the validity period the same.
For heavy-duty Airtel subscribers seeking even more data, there’s a Rs 349 scheme which offers 2GB of data per day, limitless calls, and 100 SMSes for an identical 28 days. If data is not the main focus but validity is, the telecom operator has a Rs 399 plan which delivers 1GB of data per day for 56 days.

domain: news


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announced this morning that the firm has released a new tool which helps measure "online engagement" of users of popular TV programs. According to Wetpaint, it is using online sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Wetpaint fansites to generate an algorithmic ranking of TV shows. The firm claimed that the new tool goes beyong just measuring size of viewing audience, and will measure both the online footprint of popular shows, as well as the online buzz of emerging TV shows. The firm said its ranking will be updated weekly. Wetpaint is a developer of software which allows brands and fans to create their own online communities.
posted on Monday, June 22, 2009
> Wetpaint Launches Dedicated Show Channels
> Picnik, Wetpaint Partner
> Wetpaint Hires Marketing Head
> Wetpaint Deploys On Sites
> Wetpaint Raises $9.5M
Northwest Innovation Home


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China’s brands haven’t yet made a notable impact on the global consumer market, but will that change in the near future? Before the country can develop a cohort of strong brands, its marketers will have to remake what “Made in China” means to consumers. A leading crop of Chinese brands are already chipping away at some of the key factors standing in the way of global success as China actively seeks to export more than just the rest of the world’s manufactured goods.
This report details the external and internal factors hindering the efforts of Chinese brands to take root in developed markets. It also details some of the strategies that prominent brands, from Lenovo and Li-Ning to Haier and Huawei, are deploying to knock down these roadblocks.


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Most U.S. stocks fell, sending the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lower for a second day, amid a slump in FedEx Corp. and disappointing global economic data as investors awaited the European Central Bank’s plan to buy bonds.
FedEx, a barometer for the economy because it delivers goods from mobile phones to pharmaceuticals, slid 2 percent after projecting its first decline in quarterly earnings in almost three years. Facebook Inc. jumped 4.8 percent after Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said he won’t start selling his holdings for at least a year. The Bloomberg U.S. Airlines Index soared 3.4 percent amid carriers’ improved performances.
The S&P 500 lost 0.1 percent to 1,403.44 at 4 p.m. New York time, after rising as much as 0.3 percent earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 11.54 points, or 0.1 percent, to 13,047.48. About five shares fell for every four that advanced on U.S. exchanges, with volume at 5.7 billion shares, or 6.4 percent below the three-month average.
“We’ve had this wait-and-see going on for three weeks now,” Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird & Co., which oversees $85 billion, said in a telephone interview. “The sellers are being held off from the anticipation of more quantitative easing. You don’t want to short or sell in front of that. On the other hand, the economy doesn’t seem to be able to make it -- either domestically or globally. It’s really a stand-off.”
The S&P 500 in August climbed to its highest level on an intraday basis in more than four years, then failed to close at that milestone. The index has fluctuated near the 1,400 level for three weeks as European leaders worked to tame the region’s debt crisis and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, last week he wouldn’t rule out more stimulus.
ECB President Mario Draghi’s bond-buying proposal involves unlimited purchases of government debt that will be sterilized to assuage concerns about printing money, two central bank officials briefed on the plan said. To sterilize the bond purchases, the ECB will remove from the system elsewhere the same amount of money it spends, ensuring the program has a neutral impact on the money supply.
Draghi told the European Parliament this week that the ECB needs to intervene in bond markets to wrest back control of interest rates in the fragmented euro-area economy and ensure the survival of the common currency. Policy makers deliberated on the plan today and Draghi will announce whether it has been agreed to at a press conference tomorrow.
Stocks slumped as London-based Markit Economics said euro-area services and manufacturing contracted more than initially estimated in August. Separate data showed service industries in China expanded at a weaker pace last month as new orders slowed and Australia’s economy slowed more in the second quarter than economists expected.
Investors also awaited the U.S. government’s monthly employment report in two days. U.S. payrolls probably grew at a weaker pace in August and unemployment exceeded 8 percent for a 43rd month, economists said before the Labor Department report on Sept. 7.
“Investors are still holding that the ECB will surprise us pleasantly tomorrow,” Jack Ablin, who helps oversee about $60 billion of assets as chief investment officer of BMO Harris Private Bank in Chicago, said in a telephone interview. He said FedEx “really has tentacles in just about everything in the global economy, and to hear a disappointing report from them is disappointing to me.”
FedEx lost 2 percent to $85.80 for the biggest drop since July 20. The operator of the world’s largest cargo airline said profit for the quarter that ended Aug. 31 will range from $1.37 to $1.43 a share. That was less than its June 19 forecast of $1.45 to $1.60 a share and year-earlier earnings of $1.46. It would mark the first drop in adjusted earnings per share since the quarter that ended November 2009.
Rival United Parcel Service Inc. also fell, losing 2.4 percent to $71.94. The Dow Jones Transportation Average, a gauge of 20 shipping companies, declined 1.1 percent. The index has dropped in five of the past seven trading sessions.
Utility and industrial shares posted the biggest declines out of 10 groups in the S&P 500, falling at least 0.4 percent. Commodity, telephone and consumer discretionary companies posted the largest increases. Walt Disney Co. jumped 2.3 percent to $50.79 for the biggest gain in the Dow.
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. sank 3.6 percent for the second-biggest decline in the S&P 500, to $3.51. The second-biggest maker of processors for personal computers was reduced to neutral from buy by UBS AG.
Facebook rallied 4.8 percent to $18.58, climbing from its lowest price since going public in May. Zuckerberg, faced with a plummeting stock price and deluge of shares hitting the market, has yet to adopt a share sale plan, the Menlo Park, California-based company said yesterday in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Typically, insiders use plans to pare their stakes over time to avoid flooding the market.
Safeway Inc. rallied 4.3 percent to $16.50. The second-largest grocery chain in the U.S. is planning an initial public offering of a minority stake in its Blackhawk Network Holdings Inc. business. Blackhawk provides prepaid products, such as restaurant gift cards, to retail and grocery stores in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Mexico and Australia.
All 10 stocks in the Bloomberg U.S. Airlines Index rose. Delta Air Lines Inc. climbed 3.7 percent to $8.88, while U.S. Airways Group Inc. advanced 7.4 percent to $11.22. Passenger revenue for each seat flown a mile, a measure of airline performance, rose 4 percent at Atlanta-based Delta in August and 1 percent at Tempe, Arizona-based US Airways. Miles traveled by paying passengers increased at both carriers, according to statements.
Sealed Air Corp. jumped 6 percent to $14.96. The Elmwood, New Jersey-based company is poised to turn into a takeover target after its biggest acquisition in more than a decade wiped out a third of its market value and left the maker of Bubble Wrap trading at a 64 percent discount to sales.
The company lost $1.4 billion in market capitalization since it said last June that it would buy Diversey Holdings Inc. for $2.9 billion to expand into cleaning and food-safety products. With the stock slumping after the Diversey deal and Sealed Air saying last month that it’s weighing options, the company could become vulnerable to a takeover, according to Stewart Capital.


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Moda Operandi secures $60 million in financing
Moda Operandi is looking to export its concept to Asia and Europe. It already delivers to Europe and Latin America, but this from the United States and the UK, and only in English.
So to enter new markets once and for all, the American site has secured 60 million dollars in series E financing. The majority of the current shareholders have participated in this action.
Among them, Condé Nast and LVMH, who took on holdings in the company in June 2012, during a previous fundraising scheme. The American site's, founded in 2011, initial offering was providing consumers access to full collections straight from the runway…
In short, Internet users can order clothing directly following runway shows, up to six months in advance of their being available to the public. Clothing, that the site says, won't necessarily be available in stores.
Since then, Moda Operandi has also opened a more classic but very refined virtual store.
For Deborah Nicodemus, the CEO, Moda Operandi's strength lies in the selection and access to runway collections.
The company, which has raised more than 135 million dollars since its launch, has announced that the newly acquired money will be used for international development (Europe, Asia and the Middle East), mobile technology, in the development of a loyalty programme, and more.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Spanx has been in the news after its founder and CEO Sara Blakely gave all the employees $10,000 and two plane tickets to travel anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, many people wonder whether Spanx has stock or if the company will IPO soon.
Blakely founded Spanx in 2000 with only $5,000 in savings. She made the money selling fax machines and hadn’t taken any business classes. The womenswear brand has grown rapidly since then. The company has a mission to make innovative solutions from a woman’s point of view.
Blackstone acquired a majority stake in Spanx.
On Oct. 20, Blackstone announced that it would take a majority stake in Spanx. Blackstone, which is the world’s largest alternate investment manager, would take the stake through its Blackstone Tactical Opportunities businesses and Blackstone Growth (BXG). After the deal, Blakely would continue to have a significant stake in the company. She, along with other senior managers, would still run the company's operations.
After the transaction, Blakely would move to the position of executive chairwoman. Blackstone and Spanx would create an all-female board for the company. Commenting on the transaction, Blakely said, “I am as excited today for the future of SPANX as I was when I started it 21 years ago. Now together with Blackstone, we will have even more opportunity to further our mission of making the world a better place… one butt at a time!”
Sara Blakely's net worth
According to Forbes, Blakely has a net worth of $1.2 billion. Apart from Spanx, she also holds a small stake in the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. Blakely signed the Giving Pledge in 2013 and has promised to donate half of her wealth towards philanthropy. The Giving Pledge was founded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett to encourage wealthy people to give away most of their wealth towards philanthropy.
The deal with Blackstone valued Spanx at $1.2 billion. While announcing the transaction, the company said, “The acquisition will enable SPANX to accelerate its already rapid digital transformation and strong online presence in the e-commerce channel, expand its global footprint, and fuel its commitment to creating innovative, ground-breaking products for its customers across even more categories.”
When will Spanx IPO?
As a private equity company, Blackstone acquires companies and later lists them. For example, in 2019 it took a majority stake in Bumble. The stock listed in the first quarter of 2021 at a significant premium. Blackstone has cashed out and sold some of its stake in the popular dating app. Bumble stock tumbled in September when Blackstone announced the stake sale.
Eventually, Blackstone might look for a listing for Spanx even though no timeframe has been provided. The IPO would be worth watching considering the popularity of Spanx products.
How can you invest in Spanx stock?
If you're looking at direct exposure to Spanx, you would have to wait for the listing. However, by investing in Blackstone stock also you can get exposure to Spanx since the company owns the majority stake in Spanx. Spanx’s valuation is only a tiny fraction of Blackstone’s over $170 billion market cap.


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Specifically CNN reports that Apple had created a team of experts from 2008, which included a special agent FBI. The target group was to conduct investigations in China, mainly to prevent imitation of products iPhones and iPod. Read the statement:
"The technology giant eventually organized a team in March 2008 to curb the explosion of knockoff iPods and iPhones, according to an electronic memo from the Beijing embassy in September 2008.
Yet, three years after Apple moved to crack down on widespread counterfeiting and put pressure on China, progress has been slow. Gadget piracy is not a high priority for the Chinese government, US reports and experts say. "


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WTO chief Pascal Lamy: World must change the way it measures trade flows
It is economic nonsense to continue to calculate bilateral trade balances – like those between the US and China – the way we do today. What we need to monitor is the effective added value in each country, not the overall value of goods and services imported and exported.
Editor's note: This is the first of two articles based on Pascal Lamy's recent talk to the Paris-based Notre Europe think tank, of which Mr. Lamy is the honorary president. Tomorrow: Which policies must Europe follow to prosper in a new global economic landscape?Skip to next paragraph
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The global economy has undergone two major changes in the past 20 years. Those changes are going to continue and, in all likelihood, speed up over the coming decade.
The first change involves a radical upheaval linked to the growing power of the emerging countries with very large populations, or “economic masses.” There is no other instance in the entire history of mankind of such massive economic development, which some describe as the “big swing,” concentrated in so short a space of time.
China’s output today accounts for over 8 percent of the world’s economy (in current dollars) compared with less than 2 percent only 30 years ago. This increase is already having considerable economic, political, and media repercussions, but 20 years from now China is likely going to be worth 20 percent of the global economy.
The place that China occupies in this picture is of necessity unique because it is the largest and most important of the rapidly developing economic masses. India accounts for 3 percent of the global economy today and should account for only 5 percent 20 years from now. Africa accounts for 2 percent of the global economy today, while Latin America accounts for 4 percent to 5 percent. In 20 years’ time, Africa should account for 3 percent of the global economy and Latin America’s share should remain stable. Thus, while these other economic masses are also shifting, they are not doing so to as great an extent as China will.
The downswing in the West’s economic power is the logical offset to the increasing economic weight carried by the emerging countries. If the trend observed over the past two decades continues, the weight Europe carries in the global economy is going to drop from 35 percent to 25 percent by 2030, and the weight carried by North America (the United States and Canada) is going to drop from 30 percent to 28 percent.
The fact that North America is likely to hold out better is due mainly to a more favorable demographic situation than in Europe. This swing in relative weights is destined to continue, or even to speed up in China’s case, while heightening the kind of turbulence we are already experiencing today in the advanced economies.
The second major transformation that the world’s economy has experienced in the past two decades is a deep change in the nature of the international division of labor, particularly in terms of stronger specialization in the manufacturing apparatus of the various countries. This specialization movement is rooted in the technological changes that have made the world a smaller place.


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Ad Networks, Ad Tech and Martech
Business Wire | July 26, 2023
LoopMe, a leading technology company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve brand advertising performance, today announced that it has joined Ad Net Zero, the climate action programme to help advertising tackle the climate emergency by decarbonizing ad operations and accurately promote sustainable products and services. LoopMe will be a “Supporter” alongside a diverse range of companies, including tech giants such as Amazon, Google and Meta; agencies such as dentsu, Publicis Groupe, and Omnicom Group; adtech companies like PubMatic; and industry associations, such as ANA and IAB; and more.
“We are delighted to have LoopMe amongst our supporters, especially given their recent stated contributions to advertising sustainability, both within their own business operations by achieving carbon neutrality and by enabling more sustainable practices industry-wide with their marketplace that reduces carbon emissions for partners,” said John Osborn, Ad Net Zero US Director. “LoopMe embodies the Ad Net Zero mission of modeling and empowering advertising sustainability practices through decarbonisation.”
By joining Ad Net Zero, LoopMe is committing to following the group’s five-step plan:
Reduce emissions from advertising business operations
Reduce emissions from advertising production
Reduce emissions from media planning and buying
Reduce advertising emissions through awards and from events
Harness advertising’s power to support behavior change
“We have worked arduously to prioritize sustainability as a tenet of our business and to offer more sustainable technology options to our advertising industry partners,” said Stephen Upstone, CEO and founder of LoopMe. “We are thrilled to have achieved significant momentum with our advertising sustainability initiatives, and are looking forward to leveraging Ad Net Zero’s guidance to further elevate our impact as an evangelist for doing right by our planet.”
LoopMe’s dedication to Ad Net Zero comes on the heels of another sustainability milestone announced in May 2023 in which the company achieved carbon neutrality seven years ahead of schedule. This was accomplished through a combination of internal carbon footprint reduction efforts, such as maximizing cloud efficiencies through migration of data centers to renewable-powered sites, including Google Cloud; reducing electricity consumption; establishing environmentally-geared HR policies; and investing in high-quality carbon removal projects.
LoopMe also recently launched its sustainable Intelligent Marketplace, delivering a fully certified, green-by-design supply path for its global partners. The sustainable marketplace personalizes demand-side traffic shaping, thereby dynamically filtering out 98% of supply that won’t receive a bid. This creates a 40x increase in DSP buying efficiency and dramatically reduces carbon emissions for partners.
As the business community prepares for the rollout of global business sustainability disclosure standards in 2024, LoopMe will continue to enable the advertising ecosystem to meet objectives through a sustainable lens with additional sustainability initiatives to be announced throughout 2023. For more information, please visit https://loopme.com/sustainability/.
LoopMe is a technology company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve brand advertising performance and outcomes. LoopMe was the first to apply AI to brand advertising and its Intelligent Marketplace, finding solutions to industry challenges that haven’t previously been solved. With consumer insights and AI at its core, LoopMe makes brand advertising better, outperforming industry benchmarks for leading global brands. Our vision is to change advertising for the better, by building technology that will redefine brand advertising. LoopMe was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in London with global offices across New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Dnipro, Hong Kong, Kansas City, Krakow, Los Angeles, Nashville, Manchester, Miami, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto. For more information, please visit www.loopme.com.
About Ad Net Zero
Ad Net Zero is a climate action programme to help the advertising industry tackle the climate emergency by decarbonizing ad operations and supporting every industry to accurately promote sustainable products and services. Originally founded by the UK Advertising Association in partnership with the IPA and ISBA, Ad Net Zero launched its 5-point action plan in the UK in November 2020 and has since gained over 100 UK supporters. The action plan aims to achieve net zero emissions in ad development, production, and media placement, as well as use advertising’s positive influence to help shift consumers towards more sustainable behavior. Its first non-UK territory launched in Ireland in June 2022, followed by a global roll-out at Cannes LIONS 2022. In February 2023, Ad Net Zero launched in the US, supported by the 4A’s, ANA and IAB, where it now counts over 70 supporters. Ad Net Zero has widespread backing from across the industry and proudly counts support from the world’s six biggest agency holding groups, media owners, tech companies, advertisers, and independent creative and production agencies. For more information, please visit www.adnetzero.com.
Ad Tech and Martech
Business Wire | August 25, 2023
Veritone, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERI), a leader in enterprise AI software and services, today announced that its subsidiary, Table Rock Management LLC, has entered into an exclusive advertising direct sales monetization agreement with SpokenLayer, a full-service creative studio specializing in custom, short-form digital audio content for the media and entertainment industries. Through this strategic collaboration, Veritone will serve as the exclusive ad sales agent for SpokenLayer, representing its entire portfolio of short-form podcasts, or “microcasts,” which includes revered publishing partners such as The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Wired, TechCrunch and more.
Recognizing the enormous growth opportunities in the short-form audio landscape, Veritone is pleased to be SpokenLayer's strategic partner to help handle the intricate task of monetizing SpokenLayer's extensive network of short-form daily and weekly podcasts. Additionally, Veritone will support SpokenLayer's desire to focus resources on enhancing content creation, refining storytelling and maintaining its reputation as a thought leader in the short-form audio creation and production industry.
Veritone, renowned for its advanced AI-powered solutions and expertise in podcast monetization, emerged as an ideal collaborator for SpokenLayer's ambitious goals. With a proven track record in ad sales and a strong foothold in the industry, Veritone will act as the exclusive direct ad seller for SpokenLayer, forging new avenues for revenue generation.
"By entrusting our ad sales to Veritone, we can focus more on doing what we do best: crafting extraordinary short-form audio content," said Will Mayo, founder of SpokenLayer. "With Veritone's best-in-class sales prowess, our inventory is in expert hands for monetization, and we’re poised to elevate our publishers' experience, while unlocking new dimensions of ad monetization and delivering unmatched engagement to our audiences."
This partnership will enable SpokenLayer to leverage Veritone's ad sales expertise, streamlining operations, amplifying monetization efforts, and expanding the reach of its extensive microcast network. Furthermore, SpokenLayer will have the opportunity to leverage Veritone’s award winning generative AI technologies, including Veritone Voice, to produce and syndicate their microcasts into multiple foreign languages for expanded distribution and reach. SpokenLayer will also gain valuable audience insights and allow the company to focus more exclusively on content refinement and audience engagement.
"We are excited to be selected as the exclusive ad sales partner for SpokenLayer's network of short-form podcasts," said John Murphy, senior vice president of content monetization, Commercial Enterprise at Veritone. "Through this strategic alliance, we will leverage our robust industry relationships and proven advertising sales knowledge to drive exceptional monetization outcomes for SpokenLayer."
As the exclusive direct ad seller for SpokenLayer, Veritone will connect brands and agencies with a diverse array of microcast genres, covering business, technology, finance, family, gaming and more, across SpokenLayer's network.
Since its inception in 2012, SpokenLayer has achieved incredible success in producing captivating, short-form "snackable" podcasts, collaborating with prominent publishers and advertisers, including Conde Nast, General Mills, The Wall Street Journal, Audible, Group Nine, The Economist, Starbucks, Time, and Tribune. With over 320,000 episodes of content, SpokenLayer continues to set the bar in the short-form audio creation domain.
Veritone (NASDAQ: VERI) is a leader in enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Serving organizations in both commercial and regulated sectors, Veritone’s software, services, and industry applications simplify data management, empowering the largest and most recognizable brands in the world to run more efficiently, accelerate decision making and increase profitability. Veritone’s leading Enterprise AI platform, aiWARE™, orchestrates an ever-growing ecosystem of machine learning models to transform audio, video and other data sources into actionable intelligence. Through its robust partner ecosystem and professional and managed services, Veritone develops and builds AI solutions that solve problems of today and tomorrow.
Ad Networks, Ad Tech and Martech
Business Wire | July 17, 2023
Emburse, the global leader in spend optimization, released new information today about corporate online advertising spend in May 2023. The data reveals that despite macroeconomic concerns, companies are on track to spend more on search and social advertising in 2023 than in 2022. As companies seek ways to be more efficient with their budgets, they are shifting which platforms they prioritize with their ad dollars, but have not slowed ad spending overall.
According to the data released in an infographic today, the top three vendors by share of advertising spend, in order, are Google, Meta, and LinkedIn. Spending on Twitter declined 54% from May 2022 to May 2023, while companies are putting more money toward Gen Z-oriented social media platforms. ByteDance, which owns Tiktok, saw a 55% increase, and Snap, which owns Snapchat, a 41% increase from May 2022 to May 2023.
Companies invested 6% more in digital advertising in the first five months of 2023 than in the same period in 2022. Emburse also reported increased investment in newer business applications like chat-based AI tools. For example, the amount spent on OpenAI increased 3,266% from May 2022 to May 2023. Although many people expected companies to reduce spend overall this year, instead the company has seen an effort to better align business values with their budgets.
“Online advertising is an essential business function, even as companies look to establish lasting efficiency with their budgets and better manage spending practices,” said Emburse’s Chief Experience Officer Johann Wrede. “Many of our customers entered 2023 ready to make changes with a shifting economy, and found that concentrating their ad dollars on platforms that are giving them high value with little tumult is the way to make a longer-term impact on their bottom line.”
More than 18,000 companies trust Emburse for its corporate card and spend management solution, Emburse Spend, representing over $80 billion in spending transactions a year. Emburse tracks corporate financial trends, such as the SpendSmart Travel Trends report, which in Q1 2023 revealed that the number of domestic and international flights, hotels, and car rentals increased year-over-year. Investments also increased across all measurements, with the amount spent on flights increasing by 85% domestically and 178% internationally.
Emburse will continue to track the shift in corporate expenses as the year goes on. To view the full infographic and learn more about the data, visit emburse.com/learn/digital-ad-spending.
Emburse is the global leader in spend optimization. Our expense, travel management, purchasing and accounts payable, and payments solutions are trusted by more than 12 million business professionals, including CFOs, finance teams, and travelers. More than 18,000 organizations in 120 countries, including FORTUNE 100 corporations, high-growth startups, public sector agencies, and nonprofits, count on our intelligent automation, sophisticated analytics, and unmatched spend control to streamline processes, increase spend visibility, enhance compliance, and deliver positive financial outcomes.
Our mission is to humanize work by eliminating manual, time-consuming tasks, so our customers and their teams can focus on what matters most in their personal and professional lives.
For more information on Emburse, visit emburse.com, or follow our social channels at @Emburse.


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The Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI) present in Rouen this Wednesday, January 13, 2021 the economic results of Norman companies. With a rather surprising figure: the number of business creations increased, in 2020: 35,297 new registrations, up 4% compared to 2019. “The crisis is an accelerator of life change, testifies Vincent Lodat, president of the CCI Rouen Métropole. Some wanted to create their business to have their activity, or they are executives who wanted to change their life, or even their place of life in Normandy. “
But this positive figure hides some disparities. The number of project leaders hosted by the CCIs, potentially large projects, is in free fall : there were only 4,745, down 43% over the year. The companies created are often micro-enterprises, sometimes with a single employee. “We stay on small structures, confirms Vincent Lodat. But we can create jobs with it. Every business starts with one, two or three employees. You have to create your business model. We can have very good surprises with the rise in capacity of TPE. “
Thanks to loans guaranteed by the State, corporate bankruptcies have, at least for the moment, been contained.
To avoid failures, companies are encouraged to go digital. “We are not ahead in France in this, details Michel Collin, president of the CCI in Caen. Some companies do not have the Internet … We have to move. We can help them create marketplaces, do click and collect, take a picture of an object to put it on a platform … With support, it works. There is a clothing store in Falaise which sold around 30 items in a month, the owner himself was surprised! And these are practices that will continue after the crisis … “
What du Brexi?
Another element to deal with: Brexit. The UK exits the European single market. “We will have to put oil in the cogs, details Vincent Lodat. There are 1,300 Norman companies exporting to England. We remain on watch on English and European regulations. We can have goods that will go through Dieppe rather than Calais, for fear of blockages, because the port is very busy. There is more flow than usual … ”
Daniel Dufeu chairs the West Normandy CCI: “We hear everything and its opposite on Brexit. You have to know how companies will react, will the administration be complex? I remain confident, we all have an interest in this being organized well.” He wants to be positive for the future : “The tool is not broken. Once the virus is regulated, everything will start again as before, and maybe even stronger!”


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The great summer return to cinemas is still “a work in progress”
Is the movie industry as dead as Goose, the fighter pilot who lost his life in the first Superior gun movie, who haunted Tom Cruise’s Maverick all these years later in this summer’s hit sequel? Industry analysts say that’s not the case yet, but maybe this big comeback talk is a little “chilled,” at least for now.
Top Gun: Maverick was a smash hit at the box office in a summer filled with big winners, but new data shows theaters are still struggling to fully recover from the pandemic amid growing competition from streaming services and of a limited release schedule.
While Tom Cruise’s blockbuster has grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide since its May 27 release date and hits like Jurassic World: Dominion and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness the two managed to make over $900 million this summer – the theater industry as a whole is still facing issues.
In total, domestic box office sales this summer were down 21% from the pre-pandemic summer of 2019, according to media measurement and analytics firm Comscore.
Hollywood managed to rake in just $3.4 billion from North American theaters over the summer. This is the lowest total since 2001 and 19% below the average summer box office sales between 2005 and 2019.
The poor numbers are not good news for cinema operators, who last year struggled to cope with the more than 60% decline in domestic box office sales from pre-Central levels. pandemic.
Domestic ticket sales totaled just $4.5 billion for all of 2021, down from $11.4 billion in 2019, according to data from ticket sales tracker Box Office Mojo.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, said Fortune that the film industry’s recovery from the pandemic shutdowns has been hampered not by the public’s desire to get out, but by an absolute lack of movie releases.
“It’s been a very long road to recovery, if you will, since March 2020. And we’re still on the way,” he said.
Movie studios only gave wide release — defined as movies screened in 2,000 theaters or more — 22 movies nationwide this summer, compared to 42 in 2019, according to Comscore data. With such a slim list, a drop of just 21% in sales is actually quite impressive.
The new data backs up warnings from Regal Cinemas parent company Cineworld back in August. The London-based entertainment conglomerate said recent admissions to its cinemas were “below expectations” due to a “limited film slate” set to run through November.
Cineworld was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week to help it deal with falling sales and a massive $4.8 billion net debt (excluding rental debt) it has accumulated. during the pandemic.
The company’s main competitor, meme-stock favorite AMC Entertainment Holdings, managed to avoid bankruptcy, but it also posted consistent losses during this tough time for the industry.
In the first six months of 2022, AMC made more than $1.9 billion in revenue, but its net loss totaled $459 million over the same period, according to SEC filings.
AMC offered its loyal fanbase preferred stock, which it calls APE stock, to bolster its balance sheet last month. But since their exit, APE shares have fallen about 10%.
CEO Adam Aron admitted this week that retail investors had “saved” the company by buying up its shares – and sinking APE shares – since the pandemic.
“Cineworld/Regal has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for its cinemas in the US and UK. Fortunately, AMC is in a very, very different situation, as retail investors have embraced us and let us raise tons of money. Thank you retail! You really saved AMC,” he wrote in a Wednesday Posting on Twitter.
A slow road to recovery
The good news for AMC shareholders, according to Comscore’s Dergarabedian, is that theaters are ready for another takeover. Despite the rise of streaming services, audience demand for theatrical releases is still strong, he said.
In his view, domestic summer box office sales actually doubled from 2021 this year, although they remained well below the industry average.
“So even if everyone is focused on the fact that it was an unprofitable summer compared to the pre-pandemic period, I would say that was the best possible scenario for a summer return in 2022,” a- he declared.
Dergarabedian went on to explain that if studios can return to “a more orderly release schedule,” the industry should be able to thrive for years to come. However, he noted that any disruptions to production schedules and release dates will take time to resolve.
“I think the best news for the industry is that despite a downturn right now, 2023 looks really strong in terms of movie programming, and if you build it, they will come. I know it’s a cliché, but we’ve seen it well this summer,” he added.
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- Strolling is the new scrolling: Niantic's AR web bet
Strolling is the new scrolling: Niantic's AR web bet
But what's the new trolling?
Welcome to Lowpass, a newsletter about the future of entertainment and the next big hardware platforms, including smart TVs, ambient computing and AR / VR. This week: Why Niantic is betting on the web for AR wearables, and a scoop on Humane’s AI Pin device, as well as the company’s business model.
Strolling is the new scrolling: Why Niantic is betting on the AR web
In the not-too-distant future, many of us will be wearing AR glasses, capable of unlocking location-based information layers, entertainment, games and more wherever we look. Just this week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Meta is aiming to release its first set of AR wearables as early as 2025.
While much of the recent AR glasses coverage has focused on hardware challenges, the impending release of these devices will also bring up a host of other issues. Among them: Who decides what kind of content consumers will have access to when they use AR in the wild? How will that information be organized and presented, and what will the power dynamics between hardware platforms and publishers look like?
It’s easy to imagine an AR future that looks much like today’s mobile world, complete with app stores, platform taxes and a power imbalance that greatly benefits the companies making these devices. Mobile AR pioneer Ninatic hopes that it won’t come to that, which is one reason the company is betting on the web as a foundation for our AR future.
Niantic recently released version 3.0 of its Lightship AR developer kit. While sharing some of the Lightship updates with me, Niantic senior AR and geodata product management director Kjell Bronder also shared his thoughts on the future of the medium, and why Niantic made a strategic bet on the AR web.
“In my mind, the promise of AR is that it will break this app silo,” Bronder told me. “It's not going to be an app-centric world.”
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Lohia Auto Industries on Wednesday announced its tie up with private sector lender IndusInd Bank for financing their diesel three wheelers.
Through this partnership the bank will offer retail finance at an attractive rate of interest to the customers of Lohia Auto for all Lohia 3-wheeler models. This partnership will be able to provide hassle-free loan facility at competitive interest rates to its customers. The loan facility will be available across the states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkand, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odissa, AP, R&T and Coastal Andhra. “This alliance is part of our strategy to continue to be a leading player in the field of three wheeler financing. We will offer retail finance at an attractive rate of interest to customers through our large branch network,” said S.V. Parthasarathy, Head – Consumer Finance Division, IndusInd Bank.


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A woman and her twin sons were saved during the recent Haiti earthquake by bags of dog food, according to her interview with CNN .
The family was shopping for cat food in a supermarket when the quake struck. The woman said that when she felt the supermarket falling down on her, she thought they were going to die. However, bags of dog food in the supermarket created what the woman described as a cave, which prevented the roof from crushing her and her sons.
Pet owners want a lot from their pet food brands. They want primary proteins that suit what they believe is best for their animal. They want grains or they don't. They want something customized, but it has to be easy to understand.
Constraints and crises, like those experienced in 2020, help drive innovation and sustainability offers context.


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BitBuy and Newton imposed rules to limit users in Ontario from buying more than $30K CAD worth of altcoins in a given year.
The crypto world’s graph is moving upwards at a fast pace. Crypto giants and regulators across the world are becoming aware of the protection of crypto enthusiasts. Keeping that in mind, various impositions and regulations are enforced in the crypto space. Canada-based crypto exchanges, Bitbuy and Newton, enforced a 30,000 Canadian dollars annual purchase limit for restricted altcoins for the users based in certain provinces in order to protect them amid tightened regulations.
In recent developments, Newton and BitBuy are imposing the said purchase restriction for certain altcoins for customers based in Ontario to protect them.
Bitcoin And Ethereum Are Unrestricted
Newton, a Toronto-based popular crypto exchange, announced the new rules after working on getting registered with the Ontario Securities Commission and the securities regulatory authorities in other provinces and territories of Canada, meaning that Newton is bound to honour the rules set by the Ontario Securities Commission. Newton elaborated on this imposition, “These changes are to protect cryptocurrency investors, like yourself, and to make sure investors are aware of the risks associated with investing in crypto assets.”
Ontario-based crypto traders and investors will be subject to an annual 30,000 CAD net buy limit on all cryptocurrency coins on the Newton and other Canadian crypto platforms, including BitBuy. Under this rule, four cryptocurrencies are unrestricted, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Bitcoin Cash (BCH), which means users can trade however much crypto they want, and it will not count towards the limit.
BitBuy Is On A Mission To Protect Crypto
Canadian crypto exchange BitBuy also confirmed similar crypto buy restrictions earlier this year. It is to be noted that similar restrictions also apply to users in the territories of Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Labrador, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Northwest, and Nunavut and Yukon.
BitBuy requires traders to fill out a form to determine whether the investor qualifies as a Retail Investor, Eligible Investor or Sophisticated Investor. However, Retail Investors are limited to the 30,000 CAD buy limit, Eligible Investors’ buy limit is increased to 100,000 CAD, and there is no purchase limit for Accredited Investors.
The Buy-Sell Mechanism
Regarding the buy-sell mechanism, Newton said, “When you buy restricted cryptocurrencies, you use some of your limit. Selling restricted cryptocurrencies will add space back to your limit (to a maximum of $30,000).”
For example, if a user buys $25,000 worth of Solana, a restricted crypto, the user would have used $25,000 of his $30,000 annual limit. So, if he wants to buy more crypto, he is limited to buying a maximum of $5,000. But then, if he sells $10,000 worth of SOL, it will increase the net buy limit to $15,000.
Alongside, if someone buys $40,000 of Bitcoin and sells $10,000 of Ethereum, his limit will remain unchanged because the said coins are listed as unrestricted cryptos.
The $30,000 limit will be reset every year, and the limits have been imposed by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) and the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA).
The Ontario province alone accounts for nearly 40% of the Canadian population, and Toronto is the major metropolitan hub. The ban is expected to reduce uncontrolled crypto transactions and risks in Canada. Consumer protection is the main focus of Canadian regulators. In April 2021, the Canadian federal government announced that it would undergo a legislative review on the financial sector of Canada, focusing on improving the stability and security of digital currencies by establishing a central bank digital currency (CBDC).


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Another shop has bitten the dust – this time the Station Express in Thornton Heath station. It closed last month blaming rent hikes.
The kiosk in the booking hall at the station is already being advertised by TPT Amey, the managing agents for Southern Rail, on a six year lease, for offers in excess of £15,000.
Residents were campaigning to get trendy award winning coffee shop Batch and Co interested in the kiosk but TMP Amey have said the premises won’t be considered for catering use only as a retail unit after the agents rented out the former Studio Cafe, 38 Brigstock Road, which is being refurbished for use as a coffeee shop.
It is optimistically set to open before Christmas and will have an upstairs and sell specialist coffees, teas along with fresh sandwiches and deli like food.


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Despite Some Adjustments for COVID-19, Bowling Green Retailer Excited to Be Back in Business
Cash registers are ringing in Kentucky for the first time in two months. Retail outlets reopened on Wednesday following a shutdown from the coronavirus.
Dixieland Boutique in Bowling Green opened Wednesday without a lot of fanfare. Owner Brittany Blackerby said normally when there’s a sale or special occasion, the clothing store will heavily promote it and do giveaways.
“I was little hesitant to do it in the same way this time because we need to maintain social distancing, so we didn’t want a line at the door or a lot of people coming in at once," Blackerby told WKU Public Radio. We wanted it to be like a normal day.”
Blackerby said customer traffic steady was steady throughout the day.
To help combat the spread of the virus, both employees and shoppers are now required to wear a mask inside the store. Surfaces are being disinfected after customers touch them, and clothes that are tried on or returned are steamed before being put back on the sales floor. Plexiglass has also been installed as a barrier at the checkout counter.
Blackerby said all the extra measures are taking some time, but worth the effort.
While online sales helped during the shutdown, the loss of in-store sales revenue at Dixieland Boutique has been significant. The clothing store is normally busy this time of year with Easter, Mother’s Day, graduations, weddings, and vacations.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is allowing a gradual reopening of non-essential businesses as long as they follow health and safety guidelines.
Restaurants will reopen on Friday with limited capacity.


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Facebook has formed a political action committee in order to make contributions during upcoming elections. The company already has four registered lobbyists in its DC office and is funneling more money than ever into legislative debates. Facebook has already spent over half a million dollars this year lobbying the government. Read the full article at NYTimes.com
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, co-founder of Metacademy, and the CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and CNBC and writes a popular daily business blog. He’s the Co-Host of the award-winning podcast Techstream with Shelly Palmer & Seth Everett and his latest book, Blockchain - Cryptocurrency, NFTs & Smart Contracts: An executive guide to the world of decentralized finance, is an Amazon #1 Bestseller. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.


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Hybrid Lamborghini Coming in 2015
First Ferrari, now Lamborghini. Will high-end hybrid sports cars soon be stalking the world's boulevards?
In an interview with Germany’s Automobilewoche trade paper, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann says the Audi-owned sports car maker will launch a hybrid model by 2015. Surprising news for a company whose V10 and V12 engines are best known for converting large quantities of premium unleaded into blazing speed? Not really. Officials from rival Ferrari have said, as often as anyone will listen, that a hybrid Ferrari is on the way — the exact same year. What a coincidence.
Not mentioning the Ferrari hybrid by name, Winkelmann did say the Lamborghini hybrid — like the Toyota Prius — will call on an electric motor to propel the car fully at slow speeds, like in city traffic. The traditional Lambo 10- or 12-cylinder gasoline engine will take over at higher speeds. That means the system likely won’t be like the current hybrid-drive tech used in Formula One racing — which provide a short-term boost of power — some teams have been using this F1 season to uneven results. He also hinted that the company’s Gallardo model would likely provide a test-bed for the first iteration of the company’s hybrid system.
Winkelmann also confirmed Lamborghini won’t be delving into all-electric power, like Mercedes-Benz.
[via Car Advice.au]


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A new study has debunked all claims that dietary supplements which 'have the power of estrogen and help postmenopausal women with bone health' may not be as effective as previously believed.
Women who are menopausal or postmenopausal produce less estrogen, that leads to bone loss. Estrogen hormone replacement therapy was the traditional treatment, but it is no longer recommended for the long term because of links to stroke, embolism and breast cancer.
"We found that some plant-derived isoflavones have a modest effect on suppressing bone loss during post-menopause, but more concerning is many dietary supplements that claim to have the power of estrogen do not," said Connie Weaver, distinguished professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University.
Weaver suggests that healthy bones can be maintained by a good diet that is rich in calcium and regular exercise that includes strength training.
During the study, the researchers compared the four isoflavones to a traditional bisphosphonate treatment, risedronate and estrogen plus progesterone.
These traditional therapies decreased bone loss 22 percent to 24 percent, but only soy isoflavones from the cotyledon and germ significantly decreased bone loss by 9 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
The findings also indicate that the soy cotyledon was more effective because of its higher genistein content.
The findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.


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Diamonds as Investments
Investors Increasingly Comfortable With Diamonds As Investment
Diamonds, which have symbolized love and marriage for decades, have in recent years started to attract wealthy investors as an investment with potentially high returns. And in the past year, as prices of polished diamonds have remained largely static, that has given many investors a good buying opportunity.
Volatility in stock markets and low yields on fixed-income investments are fueling the search for a relatively stable investment that can deliver higher returns. The wealthy have been turning to hard assets they can enjoy, including jewelry, art and even collectible cars. Investing in
precious stones is a natural alternative.
Until recent years, diamonds were not on the agenda for investors for several reasons, including lack of price transparency and a liquid trading market, as well as difficulty in establishing uniform standards of quality among stones.
But with increasing global demand for the gem, companies are emerging with plans to replicate the success of gold and silver by developing diamond-backed exchange-traded funds or mutual funds.
The buzz around investing in diamonds has been fueled by spectacular auction sales results over the last few years and rising prices for rough goods, if not for polished goods.
In April, Sotheby's sold a 74.79-carat white diamond for $14.2 million in bidding that took the price far above its presale estimate of $9 million to $12 million. In May, Christie's sold a pear-shaped, 101.73-carat stone for $26.7 million.
With increasing global appetite for diamonds and a limited number of mining operations, supply and demand are working in the investor's favor and driving up prices.
A report from Bain & Co. notes that global sales of diamonds increased by 18 percent from 2010 to 2011, with most of the growth coming from India and China. In 2011, supply contracted by 3 percent. As a result, the price for rough diamonds increased by 31 percent, while the price of polished stones rose 24 percent.
Another research firm, Wealth-X, reports that prices of rough diamonds have risen by nearly a third since 2005 and are likely to go up another 20 percent by 2017.
The overall view is that prices will go up because of buying in markets such as India and China, where new wealth is emerging, although demand in those countries has been waning with the softening economies, he adds.
From a financial viewpoint, diamond mines, especially the largest ones, are running out of stones. Not just that, but new mines take at least 10 years to come on stream, and existing new sources produce relatively small quantities of diamonds. And add to all that the demand from major emerging markets which is pushing up the price of diamonds on a continuous basis.
For investors worried by unstable stocks and bonds, as well as governments struggling to determine the future of their economies, and possible economic problems down the road, diamonds can represent a strong investment vehicle. As with precious metals, such as gold, diamonds too have great intrinsic value, are easily moved around, and can be sold almost everywhere. Investing in diamonds is increasingly being seen as following in the footsteps of gold as providing a worthy investment opportunity and a safe investment haven.
Consequently, business groups are being set up to provide investors, worried about financial markets, with both an alternative investment option as well as benefitting from rising demand and prices for the stones.
Investing in diamonds has often been held back by the fact that the product was just too heterogeneous. There are thousands of classifications, and prices for similar stones can be different both between markets, such as New York, Belgium, Israel and India, and within the markets themselves as well.
Investing in diamonds and gold as a solid asset, provided a means of diversifying investments, and that has grabbed the interest of investors used to seeing traditional investment vehicles collapse unexpectedly.
With China having taken over as the second-largest market for polished diamonds, and strong demand from India, and even the U.S. diamond market rebounding, rising consumer demand and investor interest is seen further boosting diamond prices.
Gold and diamond prices have traditionally moved together, and that has largely been the case in the past year as well, although the decline in the price of gold, silver and platinum has been much more severe than that for diamonds. Although diamond prices have largely stood still, the price of gold declined in 2013 by around 30 percent and silver was down by about 20 percent.
“Rough diamond production peaked in 2006,” said Edward Sterck, a London-based analyst for Bank of Montreal. “Despite some returning production and a handful of new mines forecast to enter production … rough diamond supply is highly unlikely to ever return to its 2006 high water mark." In the long term, the outlook is extremely positive for rising polished diamond prices, he added.


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WATCH: Teenagers bust fence in Nebraska doing 'Kool-Aid Man' trend
For decades, Kool-Aid commercials have featured a smiling, animated pitcher of the sweet drink bursting through a wall.
Police in Omaha, Nebraska, said Wednesday a TikTok stunt is using that ad campaign as inspiration to vandalize vinyl fences across the metro.
Investigators released security camera video showing what appeared to teenagers bursting through a vinyl fence. Local law enforcement said it has happened at least 15 times in West Omaha, as well as outside the city limits and in Sarpy County, Nebraska, which is about a 30-minute drive from Omaha.
Police also released an image of a vehicle associated with one of the cases.
Watch the video above to see teenagers bust through a fence.


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Imtech ICT Logistics Software will be touring a series of events throughout this autumn. At three different venues Imtech will discus logistics IT issues in addition to demonstrating the capabilities of its LBASE Transport and Warehouse Management System as well as its cargoNET integrated express and parcels software.
First stop on the tour is Totally Logistcs North, a new exhibition for logistics professionals, which will be held on 28-29 September 2011 at Doncaster Racecourse, one of the best state-of-the-art exhibition and conference facilities in the North of England. In addition to an exhibition, which will include Imtech’s stand, the event will host seminars, demonstrations and there will also be a site visit to IKEA’s nearby 1.4 million square feet automated warehouse. For further information on Totally Logistics North, visit http://www.totallylogistics.co.uk
Then, heading down to the midlands, Imtech will be exhibiting at the UKWA’s specialist annual conference, Warehousing Futures 2011 on 10-11 October, which is being held at the Ramada Hotel, Sutton Coldfield. Here, Imtech will be joining leading suppliers to the warehousing sector in showcasing their latest products and services in a networking exhibition environment that will support the conference.
The event is aimed at warehouse owners and managers, as well as the logistics directors and operations directors of warehouse users. With this year’s theme being ‘Building a Stronger Future’, the conference will feature sessions on property, labour costs, accurate information management, automation, picking accuracy, forklift truck fleets and health & safety, security and environmental issues. For further information on Warehousing Futures 2011, visit http://www.ukwa.org.uk/news-events/events/warehousing-futures-2011/69
Following Warehousing Futures, Imtech will make the short hop to the spectacular Thinktank Planetarium, at Millennium Point in Birmingham, to take part in the Supply Chain Orchestration event on 18 October. This event will focus on the key issues facing the logistics industry and the technology that is available to fine-tune supply chains and optimise performance. Rob Gibney, UK Country Manager of Imtech ICT Logistics Software, will be speaking on the subject of ‘Using TMS (Transport Management Software) to streamline operations, improve service and save money.’
Endorsed by both the UKWA and the Logistics Leaders Network, Supply Chain Orchestration will give operational and supply chain professionals an opportunity to network with other industry leaders and influencers, view and assess new and innovative technologies as well as feedback and influence future technology developments. For further information on Supply Chain Orchestration, visit http://www.supplychainevent.co.uk
Finally, looking ahead to the next year, Imtech ICT Logistics Software will also be at Multimodal 2012, which will be held at the NEC, Birmingham on 1-3 May 2012. For further information visit http://www.multimodal.org.uk
Anticipating an exciting schedule ahead, Rob Gibney, commented: “These events provide an excellent opportunity to meet the logistics sector and discuss some of the key issues affecting operations as well as present some of Imtech’s solutions. At the conferences and exhibitions that we attended throughout the last year we received a high level of positive reaction to our new LBASE TMS / WMS solution as well as our cargoNET integrated express and parcel logistics software. By taking an active role in these events during the autumn, we can offer our logistics IT insight to many more industry professionals.”
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New CEO will lead new operational and revenue initiatives as the company sets ambitious targets for growth.
Singapore, May 17th, 2016 – interTouch Pte Ltd, the largest global provider of high speed internet and IPTV managed services to the hospitality industry in Asia Pacific, is pleased to announce the selection of Thierry Beau as its Chief Executive Officer. In his role, Thierry will be responsible for overseeing interTouch’s day-to-day operation and overall direction of the business to drive revenue and new business growth. In addition, he will work to manage and maximize key strategic customer, supplier and partnership relationships as well as overseeing the profitability delivered from each of the various interTouch regional business units including Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Central and Latin America.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to take the interTouch business to the next level by focusing on providing future proof products that deliver value, increase revenue generation and operational efficiency as well as scale and support guest engagement and interaction for hoteliers,” says Beau.
Prior to joining interTouch, Thierry was Director of Strategy for Hoist Locatel in charge of Product Marketing and International Sales Development. In 2007, he co-founded and was named CEO of Directstreams, an editor of multimedia convergent solutions in partnership with Apple for the international luxury hospitality market. Thierry began his career in the Consumer Electronics Market with the Philips Group, after graduation from the Novancia Business School Paris in 1985.
Greg Beatty will continue to serve in his role as Chief Operating Officer working together with Thierry to manage the interTouch business. “Thierry is exceptionally well suited to help grow the business due to his vast international hospitality industry knowledge, strategic thinking, relationship building and leadership capabilities,” says Greg.
Headquartered in Singapore and with operations throughout Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, interTouch has presence in more than 60 countries with over 700 employees worldwide. A premier integrated technology solutions provider, interTouch remains committed to providing international hotels with the competitive edge needed to attract increasingly tech-savvy travelers who want connectivity as well as interactivity at their fingertips.
For more information, visit www.intertouch.com.


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See the 2016 Nissan Titan XD in Los Angeles This Weekend
Just yesterday, Nissan revealed the completely redesigned 2016 Nissan Titan XD to the world in frigid Detroit, Michigan, at the North American International Auto Show. Most people who live in Los Angeles would understandably not want to travel all the way to Detroit in the middle of January for any reason whatsoever, so Nissan will be bringing the all-new diesel Titan to the City of Angels this weekend in three public showings. Hell, if you’re in Detroit and want to see the new Titan but also want to be warm, here’s your ticket.
Here’s the truck’s itinerary, according to the Nissan press release:
Saturday, January 15 –
- 8-10 AM PST – 4 Wheel Parts Superstore at 400 W. Artesia Blvd., Compton
- 1-7 PM PST – Dirt Rider/Nissan Titan Meet-up at Supercross, 2390 E. Orangewood Ave., Anaheim
Sunday, January 16 –
- 7-10 AM PST – Super Car Sunday at Westfield Promenade Mall in Woodland Hills
So, there you have it. If you live in So-Cal and want to see the 2016 Nissan Titan in the metal, head to one of these locations this weekend and save yourselves an expensive plane ticket to one of the least appealing winter destinations in the United States. That’s money you can now spend on diesel to fuel your future Titan.
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.


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Mercedes-Benz continues to keep the accelerator down on its electrification efforts.
The German luxury marque has just revealed what updates drivers can look forward to from its range of vehicles in 2023. The upcoming model year will see the brand’s EQ line of battery-powered models continue to expand with several new models planned, including a high-performance AMG variant of the EQE and a new version of its battery-powered flagship, the EQS.
We already knew the AMG EQE was coming after Mercedes offered a peek earlier this spring, but now we know when to expect it here in the US. The mid-size four-door is equipped with a powerful 328-volt, high-performance drive battery and AMG Performance 4MATIC+ variable all-wheel drive, according to the brand. The system is able to adjust drive torque between the front and rear axles depending on the driving situation. We’ll have to wait for the full specs, but Mercedes has previously said the EV’s drivetrain can deliver up to 677 horses and 701 ft lbs of twist with the optional Dynamic Plus package.
The new EQS may not be an AMG model—there’s already one of those—but it’s aimed at drivers who want an even more capable version of its top-of-the-line electric sedan. The EV has previously been available here with one of two powertrains, the 450+ or the 580 4MATIC. The new 450 4MATIC means you can now get all-wheel-drive without opting for the biggest battery pack. We’ll have to wait on specs, but you can expect its driving range to come in at over 300 miles.
Other new Mercedes EVs include an SUV based on the EQS, which has just gone into production in Alabama, and one based on the EQE, which will follow soon after. Mercedes will also launch a 350 4MATIC version of the EQE sedan, along with a long-range version of its entry-level EQB SUV called the 250+, according to Electrek. All the new models are expected to make it to the US before the end of the year.
We don’t know how much the new EVs will cost, but European pricing for the AMG EQE may offer a hint of what to expect for at least one of the vehicles. CarBuzz reports that the sporty mid-size sedan will start at €109,778 ($109,758 at current conversion) and top out at €160,923 ($160,883). With the dollar and Euro currently worth virtually the same as of this writing, it wouldn’t be shocking if the EV’s stateside pricing is similar.


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True to its teaser campaign, the 2012 Kawasaki ZX-14R (2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400 to our friends abroad) finally got revealed today. Tweaking its hyperbike offering, Kawasaki has confirmed that the ZX-14R (note the added R to the name) will get a displacement bump to 1,441cc, along with a cosmetic overhaul and other basic features. Most notably added to the Kawasaki ZX-14R is the addition traction control, and ride-by-wire throttle control system. Kawasaki hasn’t spilled all the beans about the new ZX-14R, but power is said to be over 200hp at the crank with ram-air.
Kawasaki is already pitting the ZX-14R against Suzuki’s Hayabusa, perhaps in an attempt to re-ignite the speed wars of the 1990’s. While no top speed has been touted, the Japanese company is quoting the Kawasaki ZX-14R as “the world’s fastest accelerating production motorcycle.” A lengthy superlative, but it will be interesting to see if Suzuki responds with an update to the aging Hayabusa, which hasn’t had a meaningful upgrade since its 1999 market introduction.
The last time we showed you the latest teaser from Kawasaki for its upcoming 2012 Kawasaki ZX-14R (that’s the 2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400 for our friends across the pond), we found it fairly amusing when several sites called the video’s authenticity into question. Systematically leaked to media sites through Kawasaki channels, and generally having the production quality of a professional job, nay-sayers apparently over-looked the smoking-gun fact that the videos in question were hosted on Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-14R mini-site, which for added authority resides on a Kawasaki.com sub-domain. Yes, this video is real. Yes, an updated version of the Kawasaki ZX-14R/ZZR1400 is coming. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he’s bringing you a new 1,440cc motorcycle. Only a few more days until this baby drops on October 10th. Stay tuned.
Kawasaki is gearing up to launch its new hyperbike, the 2012 Kawasaki ZX-14 or the 2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400 as it’s known to our friends outside of the US market. Keeping a constant stream of video teaser videos over the past few weeks, Team Green has finally given us a glimpse at the new Kawasaki ZX-14 in it’s latest “Ultimate” video. Flashing the dimensions “84 x 65mm” in the video, the new ZX-14/ZZR1400 will surely live up to its name with a 1,440cc engine displacement, and is expected to make over 200hp in production trim.
The new ZX-14 is also likely to include anti-lock brakes and traction control, in order to help tame all that hyperbike power on-tap. If you’ve missed out on Kawasaki’s teaser campaign, we’ve got all of them waiting for you after the jump in reverse chronological order. Expect to see the 2012 Kawasaki ZX-14 unveiled on October 10th if Kawasaki can keep it under wraps for that long, sooner if the Japanese company can’t.
The internet has been abuzz lately with leaked/early/spy photos, some real, and some not so much. Looking a bit like the genuine article, we get another alleged glimpse at a soon to be released motorcycle before its public unveiling. While Kawasaki has been busy teasing the interwebs with videos that feature a nice exhaust note, a flash of green light, and the date: 10/10/2011, it looks like Asian motorcycle magazine Young Machine has released its issue featuring the 2012 Kawasaki ZX-14 (that’s the 2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400 for our friends in other markets) a tad early.
In what looks to be the first photos of the new Kawasaki ZX-14, we also get a look at some of the basic features that the new hypersport will boast in 2012, namely a 1429cc motor, anti-lock brakes, Kawasaki’s traction control system, and rider-selectable engine maps. As for looks…ZX-10R owners will be pleased. Photos after the jump, and if you read what appears to be Japanese, help us out with a translation in the comments. Thanks for the tip John!
Rumors are swelling around the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 (the Kawasaki ZZR1400 for friends on the other side of the pond). First up is that a new updated Kawasaki ZX-14 is set to debut by the end of the month. Expected to be only a cosmetic makeover, the 2012 Kawasaki ZX-14 will mechanically be the same as the current model.
Looking farther down the pipe though, it would seem from reports and patents that Kawasaki has been eyeing putting a supercharger on the hypersport machine, presumably to better position the ZX-14 against the increasingly more powerful 1,000 superbikes, like the company’s on 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R.


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The streaming service game is about to change, for better or worse. As we head into this spring and beyond, there will be more and more options to stream from and an unending wave of new original content making its way onto streaming service platforms. There will also be new technologies that impact streaming, such as 5G and the emerging presence of video games as a streaming service.
Unfortunately, this all means that you probably won’t be able to go to one streaming service to satisfy all of your needs, and you will probably end up paying more in the long run. I wanted to break down all of this exciting news and determine what it means for the average consumer.
Streaming Service by Channel
Streaming services started as a convenient and attractive alternative to watching cable TV. An evolution of the renting media model, streaming services allowed consumers to skip the long commercial breaks and waiting a week for the next episode of their favorite show, as they could find it all on one groundbreaking service.
If you think about it, what Netflix has done is revolutionary and it’s almost hard to believe they got away with it. The service literally moved an entire generation (the “Netflix and chill” generation?) away from the clutches of cable providers and served said generation unlimited programming through the internet; our second home anyway.
Unfortunately for us, that channel model couldn’t be kept away for long, and I think the days of paying $10 for unlimited everything are going to be a thing of the past. More and more, providers of shows are starting to pull their programs from Netflix and Hulu and are putting them up on their own services. The most glaring example is Disney, a company that has canceled a handful of fan-favorite Marvel TV shows within the past year. Fans are not happy, but Disney needed to do this as these shows were joint ventures with Netflix, and Disney is trying to sever all ties with the competing streaming service.
Disney is not the only company launching a streaming service, though. Below is a list of some streaming services that are either hitting the market soon or are already up and running:
- CBS All Access
- ESPN +
- NBC Universal
Video Games Streaming
Streaming has taken over the way we consume media over the past ten years. Starting with Netflix for movies/TV and continuing with Spotify and Apple Music for music, streaming has become the go-to way for almost all types of popular media. The last major form of popular media to adopt streaming as a distribution model would be video games.
The industry has tried, sure, but nothing seems to be catching on. A startup called OnLive was the first to try, but it failed and was absorbed by Sony/PlayStation in 2015. PlayStation then tried building on top of some of what OnLive had established with the Launch of PlayStation Now, but it has admittedly not had the same impact on games that Netflix had on movies/TV.
The common problem with the early iterations of games streaming is that there is an extra layer of latency put on top of the media. This doesn’t matter in a passive experience such as watching a movie or jamming out to music, but in games it makes a huge difference as games are an active experience. If you are constantly two seconds behind, gaming becomes less fun and more frustrating rather quickly, especially if you are playing a multiplayer game.
Lately, there have been more and more attempts to crack the game-streaming formula. The latest attempts come from the likes of Google and Microsoft. Starting with Google, the company launched a test of what it is calling Project Stream last year, allowing users to play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey through Google Chrome. Users didn’t need a fancy gaming rig to play, but rather a speedy and reliable internet connection. Reviewers were impressed by the project, and now the public is just waiting for Google to formally announce the service, with rumors saying that it will come during this year’s Games Developer’s Conference. As far as Microsoft’s game streaming service goes, it is currently named “Project XCloud”, and is yet to be formally unveiled. Regardless, expect games to be streamed more and more as we head into 2020 and beyond.
5G: Stream on the Go
Right now, you can technically stream your favorite movies and TV shows and music with not much of an issue. 5G will take this to the next level, though. With this next generation of cell phone service technology comes increased bandwidth and speeds, which generally means more high-quality content to go around. I’m talking 4K movies on the go, higher quality music streaming, even live streaming video from your phone with performance greater than even your home internet in some cases. There may even be use applications where you can stream the latest console-quality games to your phone wherever you are thanks to a 5G connection. The use cases are seemingly endless, and the possibilities varied.
Change is Coming
If you take anything from this post, it’s that change is coming. For the better? I can’t say for sure. A lot of people don’t like change, but with technology, constant change is just a part of the game. I am excited to see where things go, but unfortunately, I think it will mean that us consumers will have to pay more to access the content that we enjoy.


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Editor’s Note: Rare Earth Metals (REEs) are nothing short of crucial to the way we live. In fact without them, some of our most important modern technologies could never exist: rechargeable batteries, electric motors, photo optics, and solar cells, just to name a few.
They are so pivotal to modern circuitry that industry insiders came up with a nickname for REEs: ‘technology metals.’ And on January 1st, Denmark will relinquish its sovereign hold over Greenland’s mineral rights, making Greenland’s $273 billion rare earth resources private property. To learn about the single company in control of all of it, read the following new report.
When the news broke in Tokyo, it was said that the "Head Freds" at Toyota and Honda literally fell out of their chairs in shock.
According to a UK Times report from March 2009, "[It] has triggered what government sources in Tokyo told The Times was an invisible tsunami of panic in Japanese industry."
Oddly enough, the same event happened five months earlier — in November 2007 — with the same result. . .
According a piece from The Straits Times published on November 23, "Japanese government officials are scrambling around the world while companies are nearly on their knees begging foreign governments to sign partnerships."
What had the Japanese in such a state of panic?
Its old foe — China — had just served some revenge.
In a stunning turnaround, the Chinese Communist Party announced further export restrictions of a vital group of commodities. Without access to these commodities, the Japanese automobile industry would come to a screeching halt.
Toyota’s hottest selling car — and quite frankly, its future — is the hybrid Prius.
Inside the Prius are roughly 40 to 60 pounds of a unique commodity group known as rare earth metals.
But we’re calling them "Dragon Metals" (DM) because the Chinese account for 97% of global production. They literally own the market.
Take a look:
Source: New York Times
According to MarketWatch, "China is the Saudi Arabia of [Dragon Metals]. And like oil, [Dragon Metals] will flow to the highest bidder."
In fact, Deng Xiaoping said that these metals "will be for China what oil was for Saudi Arabia."
Japan’s tech economy depends on these metals. They have identified 31 Dragon Metals, including lithium, that are vital to the future of the tech economy.
Dragon Metals are a group of elements in the periodic table: namely scandium, yttrium, and the fifteen lanthanoids. The use of Dragon Metals in modern technology has spiked significantly over the past years.
For example, dysprosium has gained significant importance for its use in the construction of hybrid car motors. Terbium and dysprosium are also used in small amounts.
Since Toyota plans to double the Prius’s fuel economy, each car will require MORE rare earth metals than it does now. And Toyota plans on selling 1 million Priuses yearly by 2012. . . and 2 million to 3 million by 2014.
Other hybrid/electric cars made by other manufacturers use rare earths in differing amounts — vehicles including the popular Ford Escape Hybrid and Honda Insight.
It all adds up to tremendous demand. And unfortunately, this new demand has squeezed supply. . . and there is mounting concern that the world may soon face a shortage of the materials.
No wonder the Chinese are trying to corner the market!
This is where the investment opportunity unfolds. . .
Dragon Metals are essential to new technologies such as iPhones and flat screen televisions; green energy technology such as wind, solar, and geothermal; and critical to the future of hybrid and electric cars.
Recently, China has been limiting exports of DMs, which could lead to declining worldwide supply and skyrocketing prices. This has Western governments worried, as DMs are also key to high-tech military applications.
An article from The Telegraph reports on plans in China to restrict exports of rare earths:
Beijing is drawing up plans to prohibit or restrict exports of rare earth metals that are produced only in China and play a vital role in cutting edge technology, from hybrid cars and catalytic converters, to superconductors, and precision-guided weapons. A draft report by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has called for a total ban on foreign shipments of terbium, dysprosium, yttrium, thulium, and lutetium. Other metals such as neodymium, europium, cerium, and lanthanum will be restricted to a combined export quota of 35,000 tonnes a year, far below global needs.
This explains why the Japanese are panicking. . .
The Toyota Prius uses 2.2 lbs. of neodymium in the hybrid’s electric motor and 22-33 lbs. of lanthanum in the car’s battery pack.
Without these Dragon Metals, the Prius would cease to exist. And the thriving hybrid industry in Japan would come to a screeching halt — bringing Toyota and Honda to their knees.
But with every crisis comes an opportunity.
And as an investor, this is where you can make a legendary fortune.
In fact, on August 26, I told you how to play the lithium market by buying Western Lithium for $1 a share. Today, Western Lithium trades for $1.25. . . and has gotten as high as $1.50 since I first told you about this opportunity.
But there are other ways to play the rare earth market.
And I’ve pinpointed two ways to play this situation:
1) To invest directly into China’s electric car market; and
2) To invest in Dragon Metal exploration outside of China.
You see, I can almost guarantee the world isn’t going to sit by and become dependent on a vital resource like it did with oil and OPEC.
As you read this, mining companies are scouring the earth, looking for new supplies of Dragon Metals.
And one of the most promising places is Greenland.
In fact, recent estimates show that Greenland could supply 25% of global demand of Dragon Metals.
In the weeks ahead, we will show you specific ways to invest in this opportunity.
In addition to that, we will also bring you a unique way to play the Chinese Dragon metals market as it relates to electric cars.
P.S. Dragon Metals and other commodities vital to the electric car market should be on every investor’s radar — the companies that supply these commodities to auto giants like Toyota and Honda could mean some serious gains for investors. Not to mention, as current skyrocketing energy prices are proving — we’re in the early stages of the greatest commodities bull market in history. . .
My colleague, Ian Cooper, has closed 93 winning trades with his resource and energy stock picks this year alone! Since November 2007, readers of his Pure Asset Trader service have enjoyed gains of 3,124%. Click here to read more about how you, too, could start enjoying this kind of profit-taking.


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Car crashes through window of Dollar General store in Knoxville
A car crashed through a plate-glass window of a Dollar General store in Knoxville on Monday.
No injuries were reported after the car crashed into the store at 5725 Western Ave. about 1:10 p.m.
The Knoxville Fire Department tweeted a video of the car, a Toyota Avalon, being removed from the store.
An elderly lady was driving the car, according to KFD Capt. D.J. Corcoran.
Further details, such as the driver's name and whether she could face charges, were not immediately available.


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Haworth College of Business News
“Kalimizoo” showcases the city’s local flavor
If you’re from Kalamazoo, or have recently spent time on the west side of the state, chances are you’ve seen a Kalimizoo “Local Flavor” t-shirt. The design is simple, a black t-shirt with large green, yellow and red lettering. While they seem to be everywhere, these shirts are not manufactured by a large company, or even sold in stores. These shirts are the brainchild of 23-year-old Haworth College of Business student, Mike Klok, and his business, Kalimizoo.
The brand had its beginnings in Klok’s apartment his sophomore year of college during a conversation with his roommate. The two talked about starting a clothing company and even drew up a few sketches, but the plan eventually fell to the wayside. In spite of classes and a hectic work schedule, Klok continued to toy with the idea for the next few months,
“The passion to design and create was still eating at me,” says Klok. “So I got back on my computer and started to design again, but this time with my own style in mind.”
Once Klok came up with his signature design, “Local Flavor,” and began printing shirts, the idea rapidly transformed into a business. Sales took off among college students and Kalamazoo residents. He quickly went from selling shirts out of the trunk of his car to creating a website where customers could order online from anywhere.
Before long, Klok was facing high sales volume and began struggling to keep up with demand for shirts in addition to the demanding schedule of a young entrepreneur. “I couldn’t have imagined the amount of time it takes to run your own business. Operating all aspects of Kalimizoo myself, I’ve had to give up much of my free time and devote it to the less glamorous aspects of business like responding to e-mails, shipping packages and fixing bugs on the website.”
Though it was challenging to balance this commitment along with classes and another job, Klok did not give up on his company and continued to work at creating a strong presence among young Kalamazoo residents.
So why Kalamazoo? Klok, a Kalamazoo native, believes in staying true to his roots. He wanted to “slap a new face on the city” and give it the credit it deserves.
“So many people from my town and the Midwest have dreams of heading out west, or to a big city,” says Klok. “I wanted to design a shirt that gave people a sense of pride for their hometown.”
And while he has since broadened his scope, offering new designs that appeal to more than just the local market, he remembers that original philosophy.
Not only is Klok loyal to his hometown, he is loyal to the Haworth College of Business for giving him the knowledge and know-how he needed to start his small business. Everything from lessons learned in the classroom on accounting, logistics and turnover, to important lessons learned outside the classroom from fellow students.
“The Haworth College of Business has an extremely motivated body of students. I walk around the halls and see others working just as hard as I am to create a future for themselves, and they aren’t just settling for mediocre. These students are inspired to be great in their fields and that energy is contagious. We’re all here to learn and improve ourselves, but the students here make each other better. It’s encouraging.”
What does the future hold for this college senior and his company? Klok mysteriously replies, “Time will tell.” He, like many other Western students, is approaching graduation and is well under way on his job search, but has not ruled out any possibilities. “Over the years, Kalimizoo has been a lot of things. It has been a dream, a job, a burden, and a lot more fun than I ever could have imagined. It definitely hasn’t been easy, but I’m satisfied knowing that I’m better because of it.”


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BERLIN — Escada chief executive officer Bruno Sälzer has acquired a 15 percent stake in Bench and is to become the fashion brand’s ceo and chairman.
In February, Sälzer made it known he would be leaving Escada when his contract expires on Nov. 30. He has been at the helm of the Munich fashion house since 2008. The search for his successor continues.
Prior to Escada, Sälzer spent 14 years at Hugo Boss, where he assumed the ceo post in 2002. At Bench, he takes over from cfo Paul Masters, who was serving as interim ceo.
Founded in Manchester in 1987, Bench was acquired in February by Munich-based Emeram Urbanics Holding Ltd. from private equity firm Hg Capital.
Bench generated sales of 100 million euros, or $132.8 million at average exchange, in 2013, plus additional licensing revenues of about 50 million euros, or $66.4 million.
The casual lifestyle brand is targeted at men and women ages 20 to 30 and is sold in 26 countries in Europe and North America. Its largest markets are Great Britain, Germany and Canada, the latter as a license.
Sälzer remarked that the brand’s target group “is of increasing importance for the fashion industry. What is important for me is that I am able to have a long-term entrepreneurial stake in Bench.”
From overseeing America’s fastest-growing speciality retailers to codifying cool, WWD talked to the women who are leading the way for the future of beauty. Check out our Instagram Stories to see how these women built today and are creating tomorrow. (📸: @hannah_khymych) #wwdbeauty
For @laperlalingerie's spring 2018 show, the brand chose to host their event at @thevenetianmacao. With Chinese megastars @bingbing_fan and @hubing in attendance, La Perla debuted a rock ‘n’ roll-inspired collection. The show marked the start of Sands Macao Fashion Week, which runs from October 19 to 24 — the city’s first such event. Pictured here are models backstage with glimmering eyes. #wwdfashion (📷: Cheuk-Yin To)
Trending for spring 2018: top stitch design. Gone are the days of stitch just for seams — designers are using the once-minimal detail to create strong decorative elements. (📷: Paola Testa; Styled by @andrew_shang) #wwdfashion
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)